The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-17
The Story.
GOING OUT WITH THE TIDE.

"Wall, 1 guess the Lord has about con-
cluded to give Randy her freedom"
This remark was made by Mrs. Yates
the other morning, as we all sat in the
tent, each of us with handful of pea
pods In her apron, and each Smelling peas
with different degrees of alacrity. Maria
Jane was doing most of the work, for we
were still very red and moist and palpitat-
ing from rowing in our dory on Salt Pond.
We had set up dory the day before and,
naturally, we wanted to use it, even
though the wind was southwest and the
sun scorching. 1t was hard, however, to
come back to the tent and know that we
couldn't have any dinner until we had
prepared it. Fortunately Maria Jane
dropped in at this moment, vigorous and
alert as ever. She said that Marsh was
pretty tired; she left him trying to rest,
and took hold theoretically in the matter
Of Smelling peas.
Didn't you know" she went on in an.
swer to our questions, "That Mr.. Rankin
amt well? He amt. I don't knows I'm
called upon to make believe I'm sorry, for
amt, one grain. He's one of them kind
that's always pleasant and smilin :
never says cross word. But he will
have his own way if he cuts yer heart out
all the time and sees it bleedin', and
he'll be just as soft, and you'd be sure to
think twas you that was the wretch, and
likely's not you'd beg his pardon, sein' i
he was SO gentle. In the end you'll find
out he's done jest what he calkilated on
dom all the time. When you plead with
him, and cry and groan and agonize, as
it were, he'll smile and say: 'Sho, now
don't get excited guess there wouldn't
none Of us git excited if we was as sure
OF our own way as that mans always been.
But he amt got no bad habits. You
can't put your finger on thing he's done.
For all that, I believe he killed his first
wife. And I sh'd think she'd ben glad of
| it. Yes, he jest killed her a-bein' so
pleasant and SO cussed. She never had
her own way in thing. They say she
was as delikit as she could be, and she
was perfect picter to look at. I re-
member when she was married, and pear
ed as bride. was little tot, and set
with my mother two seats behind where
they sot. reck'lect exactly how I felt
and what l thought when they walked in
slow along the broad aisle, she holding
on to his arm. I didn't look at him at
| all, but 1 stared at her all the service. /
was blacker even than am now, and she
was like white rose. 1 thought. She
hadn't had good health, and she'd had a
spell few months before of bleedin' at
the lungs, but they said she'd got over
that and was we'll. She had on that fust
Sunday purple velvet bunnit with a
long white feather. en- see Jest how
the plume lay along over the velvet. ]
sot and stared and stared. 1 knew /
never could be go interestin' as to wear a
purple bunnit with a white feather'n
bleed at the lungs"
| Maria Jane took large handful of pea
l
pods from the tin pan and was silent fol
a time reviewing those days. The hoi
wind huttered the tent; there was the
sound Of talk and high laughter from 9
small sail-boat that was gliding by sc
near as to seem to be almost on the sands
below the bluff. How hot it was! It il
only when the wind is in some other
quarter than the south or west that it is cool
on this coast, notwithstanding the hotel
advertisements. And in summer, if you
will notice, the wind is usually either in
the south or west, or between those two
points, and then it is at the hottest. Then,
also, there is constant danger that the
mas''sh will send forth its mysteriou
hellish odor. am choosing this latter
adjective advisedly. The word internal
in not sufficiently strong, as you would
say yourself il you had ever happened to
be here when, as the natives say, "the
mash was a smellin'."
Nevertheless, we were glad to be in a
tent on the South Shore. The life was
free and charming. TIE people thus far
had a constant interest for us. We felt
that it would be a long time yet before
we should be tired Of their different
phases of character. Also now, and for
almost two months more, there would be
the kaleidoscope OF fashionable life to
watch at distance. This movement Of
gayety was just far enough away to
amuse without fatiguing. Itsome unut-
terably fascinating belle came to us for a
glass Of water we could examine her more
nearly, while she examined us.
just now we had also visit to which
to look forward, or we did have until we
heard Maria James words this morning.
When Randy Rankin had left us the d ay
she had called, she had given us special
invitation to spend day with her the fol-
lowing week. She named Wednesday,
for on that day the baker came along the
ridge here by the shore and then went
over to the Two Mile. She was confident
he would let us go with him. But we had
said We would go across Salt Pond In
our boat, then hire a horse and carriage
at one Of the hotels on ''the road" This
arrangement had greatly shocked her, as
being extravaganza in the extreme. She
said they were monstrous dear at them
hv'ries. We promised after her remon-
strances that if the wind should be in the
east we could venture to walk from the
road. Thus the matter was left. For